Pro-gay marriage group, Respect for Marriage Coalition, has announced that they will replace a television ad featuring Laura Bush, following Mrs. Bush's request to be taken out of the ad campaign, reports Yahoo.
The former first lady, along with George W. Bush's former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Vice President Dick Cheney, were included in the ad that launched this week.
The clip used in the ad was taken from an interview that Mrs. Bush did with Larry King in 2010 in which she says, "When couples are committed to each other and love each other then they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has," reports Politico.
Within the context of the full interview, Mrs. Bush makes it clear that she is in favor of gay marriage and says that she thinks it will be legal nationwide one day.
"I guess that would be an area where we disagree," said Bush in reference to her husband, former President George W. Bush's views, on the issue.
Many will be surprised that Mrs. Bush has these views, considering the fact that she was the wife of a conservative Republican president. However, this should act as a reminder that not all conservative Republicans subscribe to exactly the same views on all issues.
It isn't that shocking that former Vice President Cheney's words are being used in the ad, in light of the fact that one of his daughter's came out as a lesbian. Former Secretary of State Powell has also been at odds with Republicans as of late.
Besides the CNN interview, Bush also addressed the matter in her memoir, stating that she urged her husband "not to make same-sex marriage a major issue" in the 2004 presidential campaign.
Despite her apparent support of gay marriage, Bush spokeswoman Anne MacDonald said that the first lady "did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated with the group that made the ad in any way."
The Respect for Gay Marriage Coalition has responded by saying, "We used public comments for this ad from American leaders who have expressed support for civil marriage," and went on to say, "We appreciate Mrs. Bush's previous comments but are sorry she didn't want to be included in an ad."
The new ad debuting this weekend features Craig Stowell, a Republican, former Marine who talks about his decision to support gay marriage after learning that his brother was gay.
Even though Bush did not want to be a part of this particular campaign, it must have taken a great deal of courage for her to come out in support of gay marriage in the past. Whatever one's views on the issue, it is refreshing to hear a political wife voice an opinion that differs from that of her husband.
Mrs. Laura Bush by White House photo by Krisanna Johnson, via Wikimedia Commons
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Comments: 5
The only "federal $$$" which are being spent on the issue of same-sex marriage is by BLAG, which was set up by House Republicans to defend DOMA. Currently, BLAG has lost every court case it has been involved in. These cases are being appealed, but are waiting for the Supreme Court's decision on Windsor v. U.S which claims that DOMA unconstitutionally excludes same-sex couples from the rights and responsibilities of marriage that opposite-sex couples enjoy. The Court's decision on Windsor should be made public in June.
it appears Laura Bush should have deserved from the beginning the same respect, support, and human rights that the pro-gay marriage group Respect for Marriage Coalition is standing for.
My compliments to the ex First Lady for her requesting and not demanding the removal of her 2010 interview with Larry King from the new television pro same sex marriage ad and my compliments to the Respect for Marriage Coalition for respecting and acquiescing to Mrs. Bush's request.
Mrs. Bush also has my sincere admiration for including the statement that she supports same sex marriage in opposition to the position held by her husband, ex POTUS G.W. Bush and views same sex marriage as becoming legal under federal law in the near future. In doing so, Mrs. Bush demonstrated both individualism in thinking and reasoning and personal courage in openly anouncing her position which is in opposition to that held by the majority of conservatives. Further, inasmuch as her husband is a Born Again Christian, for her to openly hold an opposit point of view on what BAC Evangelicals consider to be, an abomination under God's law, it could not have been an easy thing for her to have done.